12 Analytical Essay Prompts for Imogen, Obviously

These prompts are designed for close reading and argumentative analysis of Becky Albertalli’s 2023 novel. Each prompt focuses on specific character arcs, relationships, symbols, and structural choices unique to the story. A sample thesis direction and three to five chapter-based evidence leads support each prompt.

1. How Lili’s Lie Functions as a Catalyst for Imogen’s Self-Discovery

Why this prompt matters: The novel’s central plot device—Lili telling her college friends that Imogen is her ex-girlfriend—creates a pressure that forces Imogen to question her straight identity. This prompt examines causality and the ethical ambiguity of the lie.

Sample thesis direction: Lili’s fabrication does not erase Imogen’s identity; instead, it creates a safe experimental space that allows Imogen to explore feelings she had previously suppressed, making the lie paradoxically necessary for her eventual coming out.

Evidence leads:

Chapter 4: Lili confesses the lie; Imogen insists she is not upset and decides not to set the record straight.
Chapter 5: Imogen worries she cannot convincingly act queer; flashback to ninth-grade Pride Alliance reinforces her long-standing insecurity.
Chapter 33: Imogen texts Lili to apologize for past dismissals; Lili asks if she wants to tell Tessa the truth and come out.
Chapter 57: Imogen thanks Lili for the fake backstory; Lili calls her an “earnest little bisexual.”

2. Compulsory Heterosexuality and Imogen’s Denial Arc

Why this prompt matters: The novel explicitly addresses compulsory heterosexuality—the societal assumption that women are naturally attracted to men. Imogen’s internal monologue frequently rationalizes her attraction to girls as “thought experiments,” making this theme central to her journey.

Sample thesis direction: Albertalli uses Imogen’s repeated rationalizations—comparing crushes to finishing a book or to role-play—to dramatize how compulsory heterosexuality operates as an internal policing mechanism that Imogen must gradually dismantle.

Evidence leads:

Chapter 21: Imogen lists past attractions to girls but insists they were not crushes; she calls them “thought experiments” like the feeling after finishing a book.
Chapter 26: Imogen wonders if one girl can topple her entire sexuality; she misses the safety of being perceived as straight.
Chapter 27: She mentally lists girls she’s felt drawn to and rationalizes the pattern as role-play.
Chapter 47: Slow dancing with Tessa; Imogen realizes her lifelong assumption of straightness was self-deception.
Chapter 59: Imogen mentally defends her right to question her sexuality; asks herself why she thought she needed permission.

3. The Gatekeeping vs. Support Role of Gretchen

Why this prompt matters: Gretchen is simultaneously Imogen’s most queer-identified friend and the one who most aggressively dismisses Imogen’s queerness. This contrast raises questions about who gets to define authentic queer identity.

Sample thesis direction: Gretchen’s gatekeeping—rooted in her own trauma from a disbanded GSA and her need to protect queer spaces—ultimately harms Imogen by reinforcing her imposter syndrome, forcing Imogen to find validation outside Gretchen’s approval.

Evidence leads:

Chapter 7: Gretchen called Imogen out for discomfort; offers to help her work on biases.
Chapter 32: Flashback to Gretchen’s gatekeeping about Dallas; Lili challenges her; Imogen sides with Gretchen because she is queer.
Chapter 39: Gretchen presents a “sex test” and interprets Imogen’s lack of explicit desire as proof she is straight; Imogen feels invalidated.
Chapter 51: At the diner, Gretchen voices biphobic concerns; Imogen comes out; Gretchen accuses her of appropriating queerness.
Chapter 58: Gretchen texts apologies; Imogen reflects on whether their friendship can survive.

4. The Symbolic Significance of Spaces: Closets, Tunnels, and Rainbow Manor

Why this prompt matters: Setting choices are not incidental. From the physical closet in Chapter 14 to the underground tunnels, Rainbow Manor, and Penn Yan, spaces reflect Imogen’s internal state and her journey toward belonging.

Sample thesis direction: Albertalli maps Imogen’s psychological journey onto physical spaces: the closet and tunnels represent hidden desire and secret intimacy, while Rainbow Manor and the Penn Yan griddle symbolize public queer belonging and home.

Evidence leads:

Chapter 2: Lili points out Rainbow Manor as “the queer frat house”; Imogen feels like a visitor.
Chapter 14: Imogen hides with Tessa in Declan’s closet; the cramped space sparks powerful attraction.
Chapter 19: Imogen, Lili, and Tessa picnic in an abandoned laundry room in the tunnels; Imogen fabricates a coming-out story.
Chapter 45: The party at Rainbow Manor with the sign “If you’re out, come on in!”
Chapter 56: Driving through Penn Yan, Imogen imagines Tessa liking Main Street; stops to photograph a griddle.

5. Edith as a Foil and Unconditional Support System

Why this prompt matters: Edith’s secure, unapologetic queerness contrasts with Imogen’s confusion. Their sibling dynamic—often assuming Imogen needs Edith more—shifts when Edith validates Imogen’s identity.

Sample thesis direction: Edith functions as both a foil (her confident queerness highlights Imogen’s uncertainty) and an anchor (she consistently affirms Imogen’s identity without requiring proof), ultimately demonstrating that authentic queer belonging begins at home.

Evidence leads:

Chapter 1: Edith is described as a “modern-day Amy March” who breaks rules; she encourages Imogen to “break out of her comfort zone.”
Chapter 36: Sisters sort basement boxes; Edith admits she will miss Imogen; Imogen realizes she thought she needed Edith more.
Chapter 51: Edith defends Imogen at the diner, confronts Gretchen, and tells Imogen that Tessa likes her.
Chapter 34: Edith argues against biphobic discourse about Kara Clapstone; Imogen silently cries, connecting Kara’s experience to her own.

6. The Sausage Prank and Inside Jokes as Bonding Rituals

Why this prompt matters: The recurring prank with the Braunschweiger sausage is absurd but serves as a litmus test for belonging. Imogen’s willingness to participate signals her desire for inclusion.

Sample thesis direction: The sausage prank operates as a queer code-switching ritual: Imogen’s discomfort with the “scissor” joke and her decision to hide the sausage reveal the gap between performing queer identity and truly belonging to an in-group.

Evidence leads:

Chapter 6: Inside jokes (sex carnival guy, Jean-Claude LePoisson) make Imogen feel initially like an outsider but gradually relax her.
Chapter 12: Lili mentions “the scissor”; Imogen struggles with queer vocabulary. Kayla invites Imogen to join the prank.
Chapter 13: Tessa admits she originated the Life Savers idea and aligns with chaos; photographs Imogen’s conflicted expression.
Chapter 14: Hiding the sausage in Declan’s room; in the closet, Imogen reflects on attraction and begins questioning her sexuality.

7. Imogen’s Liquid Identity and the Performance of Authenticity

Why this prompt matters: In Chapter 40, Imogen describes herself as liquid that takes the shape of its container. This metaphor captures her tendency to people-please and perform identity for others.

Sample thesis direction: Albertalli uses the “liquid identity” metaphor to show that Imogen’s supposed lack of authentic self is actually a survival strategy; her true self emerges only when she stops trying to be the version others expect.

Evidence leads:

Chapter 13: Photograph of Imogen holding the sausage—cheerful but panicked; appearance vs. reality.
Chapter 19: Imogen fabricates a coming-out story stolen from Edith; feels immediate guilt.
Chapter 24: Imogen realizes lying by omission has become comfortable; asks herself when lying became easy.
Chapter 35: Imogen feels clearer and more herself after Gretchen leaves; hints at growing dissonance.
Chapter 40: Imogen describes herself as liquid that takes the shape of its container; foreshadows her struggle to claim own desires.

8. The First Kiss: Agency, Interruption, and Coming Out

Why this prompt matters: Imogen’s first kiss with Tessa in Chapter 49 is a turning point where she initiates physical intimacy. The interruption by Lili and the aftermath force Imogen to confront her identity publicly.

Sample thesis direction: Imogen’s decision to initiate the kiss marks her first act of queer agency, but the subsequent interruptions (Lili’s arrival, Gretchen’s presence) force her to navigate the gap between private desire and public visibility.

Evidence leads:

Chapter 49: Imogen impulsively kisses Tessa—her first initiation; Lili interrupts.
Chapter 50: Gretchen, Otávio, and Edith surprise her; Imogen feels insecure; she tries to confess the lie to Tessa but is interrupted.
Chapter 51: At the diner, Imogen comes out publicly; Gretchen challenges her.
Chapter 52: Tessa finds Imogen outside; they share a passionate kiss; Imogen fully embraces being queer.
Chapter 54: Imogen lies awake after the kiss, questioning everything; she sees a stripped-down version of herself in the mirror.

9. Contrasting Queer Communities: Penn Yan Pride Alliance vs. Blackwell’s “Pack of Queers”

Why this prompt matters: Imogen experiences two distinct queer communities: her high school Pride Alliance (where she is the ally) and Lili’s college friends (who accept her as bi). The contrast illuminates her evolving relationship with queer belonging.

Sample thesis direction: The novel contrasts the performative allyship of Penn Yan Pride Alliance—where Imogen is the “only capital-A Ally”—with the organic belonging she finds at Blackwell, suggesting that inclusive queer community requires invitation, not just tolerance.

Evidence leads:

Chapter 1: Imogen attends every Pride Alliance meeting as the group’s “only capital-A Ally”; people still seem confused about why she’s there.
Chapter 5: Flashback to first Pride Alliance meeting; Gretchen explains gaydar; Imogen worries she will be kicked out.
Chapter 6: At dinner with Lili’s friends, Imogen begins to imagine fitting in at Blackwell.
Chapter 22: Lili tells Imogen the friends liked her for herself; affirms Imogen’s future belonging at Blackwell.
Chapter 57: Lili expresses rage at Gretchen’s gatekeeping; discusses how she handled the situation carefully to avoid pressuring Imogen.

10. The Role of the Online Sexuality Quiz and Self-Questioning

Why this prompt matters: Chapter 28 features Imogen taking an online sexuality quiz—a realistic, often-mocked milestone in questioning one’s identity. The chapter marks her first active step toward self-discovery.

Sample thesis direction: Albertalli uses the quiz scene to critique the idea that queerness must be proven or verified by external tests; Imogen’s internal struggle with the quiz questions reveals that self-knowledge cannot be algorithmically determined.

Evidence leads:

Chapter 27: Imogen considers researching her feelings online to “rule it out.”
Chapter 28: She searches for quizzes, feels dramatic, and struggles with questions about attraction. Her mind lists past crushes and ends with a fantasy about Tessa at karaoke.
Chapter 33: Imogen worries she might be a people-pleaser faking attraction; compares herself to queer friends.
Chapter 59: She thinks of the quizzes in her private browser history and asks herself why she thought she needed permission from Gretchen.

11. The “Waldo” Motif: Visibility and Hidden Identity

Why this prompt matters: The Where’s Waldo? game in Chapter 8, Tessa’s nickname “Scott,” and the final realization in Chapter 47 that Imogen’s attraction was “like Waldo, never truly hidden” form a recurring symbol.

Sample thesis direction: The Waldo motif symbolizes the act of looking for something that was always in plain sight; Imogen’s journey is not about becoming queer but about learning to see and name what was already there.

Evidence leads:

Chapter 8: Imogen finds Waldo in twelve seconds, winning trivia; the group celebrates her skill.
Chapter 9: Tessa calls Imogen “Scott” in the group chat; Imogen loves the nickname.
Chapter 47: Slow dancing with Tessa; Imogen realizes her attraction to Tessa was always obvious—like Waldo, never truly hidden.
Chapter 59: Imogen stares at her face in selfie mode; she sees her “absurdly gay bookcase” and poster wall that had been screaming at her “this whole time.”

12. The Ending: Imogen’s Claiming of Identity and the Rain Kiss

Why this prompt matters: The novel’s climax—Imogen running into the rain to meet Tessa at Birkett Mills—and the final chapter where she calls Tessa her girlfriend show Imogen fully owning her queerness. This prompt examines the ending’s thematic resolution.

Sample thesis direction: The ending rejects the narrative of queer suffering as proof of legitimacy; instead, Imogen claims her bisexuality through joy, earnestness, and a supportive relationship, redefining what a “valid” coming-out story looks like.

Evidence leads:

Chapter 52: Tessa and Imogen talk about compulsory heterosexuality; Tessa says she wants to date and kiss a bi girl—Imogen. Their kiss is passionate and affirming.
Chapter 53: Imogen and Tessa fall asleep cuddling; Imogen feels deep emotional connection and clarity.
Chapter 60: Imogen dashes into a storm to see Tessa; they reunite in the rain. Tessa says she doesn’t kiss “like a straight girl.” Imogen accepts her queer identity.
Chapter 61: Imogen thinks the word girlfriend for the first time; she begins to separate from Gretchen’s influence.
Chapter 62: Imogen declares she wants to be Tessa’s girlfriend; Tessa enthusiastically says yes. Imogen’s impulse marks her growing assertiveness and commitment.
Chapter 57: Lili calls Imogen an “earnest little bisexual,” a label Imogen owns without irony—the ultimate acceptance.

For further analysis, see the themes page and character study of Imogen.